Internal-combustion engine



Jan. 27, 1931. J. F. MAYER I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 2. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l m m 0 m n I n a, l w J m n 7 x 6 H .3 wk. gn w.

l/v VEN TOR JJEPH F M me,

A7'TORNEY Jan. 27, 1931. J. F. MAYER 1,790,013v

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jul 2, 1928 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -IIIIIi ATTOI QNEY' l/V WEN TOR Patented Jan. 27, 1931 v i I uNrrsn srArfEs- ATE JOSEPH F. MAYER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSC'UEI 1 mT'EnNAL-coniwsmon Enema appncananai'a Jul 2, 192a; SeriarNo. 289,648.

This invention relates to acertain new and A My inve'i'ition arts for additional object useful improvement in internal combustion the. provision in a rotary valve engine of a engines. I valve having an exhaust chamber including a 7 My invention has-for an object the provibalilemeans for an the n'iovenient of -5 sion of an efiicient engine of the type stated gases therethrough to prevent the an 'on as having an axially rotatable chambered valve of whorls of eddies in gases, said for controlling the intake. and discharge of being disposed in the direction oi movement a companion pair of cylinders. of said gases to divide the same into parallel Y My invention has for another object the streams in said chamber.

to provision of an engine of thetype stated hav- My invention has for another additional ing a valve chamber common to each pair of bj t, th isi i 411 n i f a rotary cylinders, and passages leading from the valve supported by ahollo'vv shaft a Wavalve chamberinto the respective cylinders, ter-cooled bearing chamber disposed away each pas-sage serving as a common or comfrom the exhaust passages or" the valve and bined inlet and outlet to and from its respecn i th i t i f id, h ll haft serve5 tive cylinder. v ing also as a passage leading from the intake My invention has for still another object inaniit'old of the engine to the preheating the provision in an engine of the type deh b f h Valve, 7 scribed of a rotary chambered valvefor conr A d ith th bo a d th bj ct i "2a trolling the intake and discharge of a com- View, my invention n a in h novel 7O Panion P Cylinders, the Valve including tures of form, construction, arrangement, and P intake and e-lhaust'chambefs combination of parts hereinafter described, cuinferentially adjacent onone side of the and j t d' t i th l i valve and separated by an intake preheating 1 th accompanying i =35 chamber on the other sideof thevalve com- Fi 1 i a id l ti l View? rtl 7 mul'llcflting Sdld intake Chainber, each Of in Section of a feu 'scyhnder internal com Said intake 41nd exhaust chambers having -bustion'engine enibodving my invention; single port adapted for communication with Fi 2 is a m d i of Figure, each of said cylinders in turn, the Ports portions of the valve mechanism of the front 0 g circumferentially ig 0119 e pair'of cylinders being shown in section;

other and the port of 'eXhauSt Chamber Figure: 3 is a ectional iew a long appro xibeing preferably adjacent he port of the 111- mately the 1 3 Figure 1; v take-Cham Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sec- IY' inl'ention has further oblect the tional view along approiliniatelv the line .3 provision in a rotary valve engine of the type 4 Fi 5 I stated ofa unique form and location of pack- Fig- 5 i & m ry ti d i ing to obviate leakage betWVQen thB ValVe and alongapproxi ngtely the ling Figure the cylinders, and in connection with said a d p g to Provide all ,efilcient fOTm of Figure 6 is an enlarged perspectiveeleva- 40 brication to the valve and its seatincluding m f One f h 1 t a replaceable solid lubricant incorporated in 3 1 .g -f ih now more i d t 1 d b f said seat and an oil-absorbing material ein-. eygn'ce h 'fi g t th dm i hkh i1- bracing the "alive in the Chimlbgflustrate a preferred embodiment of my inl'i'lVGDt-lOIlllZLS 01 1 fLlIthEl ObjGCt ventio nning na hgvg 01" colnpri se an the provision in a rotary valve engine ot a engine blocltiorined with one ormore pairs valve operating mechanism, including a valve of cylinders adapted to be tired in a certain shaft operatively geared to the rotary valve sequence. In the present engine, there are and having a pair of cranks in quadrature shown two pairs of cylinders 1 to i inclusive, driven by eccentrics dispose-d likewise on the and worlrii'ig and adapted for reciprocation crank shaft of the engine. I within the cylinders, are pistons 5 connected bly B mounted in a housing D having a cylindrical valve chamber 10, the bore 10a of which opens at one end into the exhaust manifold .11 of tie engine and at its other end into a bearing chamber 12 containing the driving and supporting elements for the valve assem-' bly B, which chamber 12 may be formed in 'common with both valve assemblies B, as

indicated in Figure 1. Preferably both housings Dare enclosed by the water jacket 9.

Forming part of the valve assembly B and mounted for axial rotation in the respective valve chamber 10 for the purpose of controlling the intake and discharge of a companion pair of cylinders, is a rotary valve C which includes a tubular valve body 13 having an exhaust-chamber 14 communicating with the exhaust-manifold 11 and an intake-chamber 15 communicating through a preheating chamber 16 with the interior of a hollow shaft or tubular member 17 presented endwise from, and preferably integral with, the valve body 13, the hollow shaft 17, in turn,

communicating with the intake manifold 18. 35 v The exhaust-chamber 14 and the intakechamber 15 are circumferentially adjacent on one side of the valve body 13 and are separated or spaced on the other side of the valve body by the preheating-chamber 16 (Figure 4). Preferably, in adjacent circumferential alignment in the wall of the tubular body 13 for communication with each of the cylinders, as 3, 4, in turn, are an exhaust port 19 leading into the exhaust-chamber 14 and an intake port 20 leading from the intake-chamber 15, the ports 19, 20, being of such relative dimensions that, on rotation of the valve C, the one cylinder is exhausting through port 19 while the companion cylinder is intaking through port 20 (Figure 4).

Convergingly presented from each of the cylinder ends 21, 21 of the companion pair of cylinders, as 3,4, are integral supporting necks 22, 23, connecting with the valve chamber 10, each provided with a passage 24, 25, respectively, leading obliquely downwardly from the bore 10a to its respective cylinder, 1

the openings of the respective passages 24, 25, being spaced at an angle of approximately 90 degrees in circumferential alignment in said bore 10a. 7

' The passages 24, 25, serve as common or combined inlet and discharge ports for their respective cylinders, as 3, 4, and the valve ports 19, 20, are so relatively located that,

when the valve body 13 is rotated, the ports 19, 20, are adapted for registration. in turn,

19, 20 of the respective valve body 13 associ-' ated therewith.

To prevent circumferential leakage between the valve body 13 and the wall of the chamber 10, an apertured valve-seat or packing 26, bestseen in Eigure 6, is fitted for slidable radial movement in a radially presented recess 27 formed iii the wall of the chamber 10-at and around one, or the upper, end of each of the cylinder ports 24, 25. The seat or packing 26 is of such relative dimensions to extend laterally on all sides of the particular port opening, and its, upper or valve ongaging face 28 is ofarcuate shape or contour complementary to the valve body 13, the respective apertures or ports 29 of said seats 26 suitably registering with the valve ports 19, 20, to provide the proper lap to said registration as may. be required for the operation of the engine. V

Replaceably or renewably inset in the circumferentially extending lateral portions 30 of the valve engaging face 28 of the valvepacking 26, is a plurality of longitudinally or axially extending graphite strips or other like solid lubricating elements 31, and disposed annularly between the wall of the bore 10a and the valve-body 13, is a packing or seat lining 32, preferably of elastic oil-absorbing incombust-ible material, such as asbestos fabric,

yieldingly embracing approximately one-half of the periphery of the valve member 13 to abut the exposed lateral portions 30 of the respective seats 26. Each of said valve seats 26 is yieldingly engaged with the periphery of the valve body 13 by resilient elements 33, preferably expansibly folded strips of spring metal, best seen in Figure 6, which are seated between said lateral portions 30 and the radially adjacent obliquely lateral walls 33a of saidv recess 27, so as to slidably engage their free edges with the under-body 34 of said seat 26. The under body 34 is nicely fitted to the walls of a seat 35 forming a continuation of the recess 27, and the strips of spring metal 33 are likewise fitted to the end walls of the recess 27, for the purpose of preventing leakage between the companion pairs of cylinders under the opposed portions of the adjacent valve seats 26. 'The respective apertures or ports 29 of the valve-seats 26 are thus suitably registered with the respective cylinder 7 ports 24, 25, to isolate the one from the other.

I prefer to construct the chambered rotary valve'body 13 in the form of a tubular 11'15111- ber lnteriorly chambered by axially nicotin 5,, approximately radial partitions 3o, 31, 08,

mounted united to the wall of said tubular member to define the exhaust chamber between the partitions 36 and 37, the intake chamber 15 'betiveenthe partitions a heating chamber 16 between'the and V I v Theexhaust chamber l i-is open-endcdto- Ward the exhaust-manifold 11for direct "continuous communication thcreivith' and is also the preaxiallv subdivid d b r a radial 'artition 39 o 5 i i a but the other chambei's'are closed at thee):- haust end by an end Wall 40. The preheating chamber 16 is open-ended toward the hollow shaft 1'? for'direct continuous communication with the interior thereof, but the-other ch mbers are closed at th inlet end by a hers 15 2111(1 16 (Figure 5). The hollow shaft ;z'rally with, the valve body 13 (Fi ure 5), and is rotatably supported in a radial-thrust bearing disposed in a bor 43 in the bearchamber 12 adjacent the v *e chamber 10 and a like radial-thrust bearing 45 oppositely in an. axially apertured head 46 removal; pported in the outer side wall of thebeai ng chamber 12-, whereby the valve C is revolvably supported in the housing D.

Fixed betweentlie bearings 44 and 45 on the hollow shaft 1'? each of the respective valves C, is a gear 47', which gears mesh with rms disposed upon a valve tin or drive-shaft nilSllltilblY mounted rotation upon the engine, and in order adjacent gears d7 may bereversely a purpose hereinafter appearing,

of sum adjacent gears and-Worms 'eisely cut, as indica ed in Figure 1. i quadrature on a plate clutch 50 otation thereof, 'a pair of cranks 51, each crank being operatively connected by a 52 to its correspondsuitable connecting rod ing one of a pair of ecce t-'cs 53, mounted in Whole being enclosed in like quadrature on the crank shaft 7, the

suitable housing 53a.

Communicating with the respective bearing chambers 12 and forming part of a drive shaft housing 5% havi 5 suitable bearings or bushings 55 abutting each side of the worms d8 for rotatably supporting the shaft t therein. are gear chambers 56 enclosing the Worms 48 to catch the lubricant thrown therefrom through a radial oil-port 57 leading from axial oil-duct provided inand opening at the rear end of said shaft 1-9 said rear end of the shaft 49 being coterminous with the rearmost bushing the open end of in 32, is a passa lied end Wall 41. The partition 38 termi V nates short of the end wall 40 to provlde'a port or opening d2connnumcating the chant or the front end of said shaft 49 Leading o liquely downwardlyfrom each go 61 (Figure 2), escape of on into the exhaust manifold 11 being prevented by a retaining-ring 62 nicely fitting the exhaust end of the valve body 13 and engaged between the manifold 11 and the valve chamber 10, in conjunction with a packing 1'1? \vi Figure The intake or outer endofthe hollow shaft b 1 ds through a stuffing box 64 on the is headu lfiinto the intake'manifold direct continuous communication therewith, leakage therebetwcen being prevented by suitable packing 65. Thus the".

intake chamber 15, through the chamber 16 63 set-inthe valve-body 13 for contact th the Walls ofthe exhaust manifold 11 2 gear chamber 56 to the respective bore 10a for supplying lubricant to'th'e oil-absorbing 1111- v and'hollow shaft 1?, is incontinuous communication Ni ii the'intake manifold18.

'lheseverz-rl parts are disposed and have relative dimensions so'that the entire valve packing ring 63 from the valve body 13, and

preferably also, the removal ofthe shaft 19 from-the housing 54, said housing being preferably split lengthwise forthis purpose, as indicated in Figure 2. v 1

Cooling \vaterforthe jacket'9 is circu latcd by a suitably operated pump 66 through an inlecpipe 67 leading to the jacket 9 and an outlet pipe 68 leading therefrom in the customaryinanner. At the front end of the engine is the usual belt driven adj ustably mounted fan69, and on the rearv end'of the crankshaftis mounted the customary tiy-i Wheel 70. Each 'cylinderrl, 2, 3, 4i, hasconnect ng directly therewith and extending through the water jacket 9 an auxiliary passageway 71 preferably of asize and shape to receive a standard spark plug 72,21 standard carbureter 18a being associated with the intake manifold 18.

he valve ports 19, 20 may include all or -14, 15 through the said apertures 29, I am able to nicely time the exhaust cycle of the respective companion cylinders, as 3, 4, as indicated in Figure d. Likewise, a suitable cut off or Wall portion 74 of the bounding Wall of the chamber 15 is disposed to control the ine .take cycle, of the cylindersB, 4; and there after, in conjunction with the bounding wall 7 5 of the chamber 16, to serve as an abutment during the compression and firing cycles of said companion cylinders, as indicated in 'Flgure 4, in connection with cylinders 1, 2,

wherein is shown the other valve C associated similarly with the said cylinders 1, 2.

I may addthat the val e ports 1, 20, and the valve-seats 26 and theirapertures 29 may be of any convenient shape suit-ably toconform *ith the disposition of the parts of the engine and, to such end, may be circular, square, or rectangularly oblong in contour although 1 have shown in my present'embodiment thereof a rectangularlyoblong valveseat, aperture and ports. It will be understood also that the engine block A may be horizontally split in the usual manner just below the cylinder ends 21 to permit the ready removal from the engine of the valveassemblies B and associated parts.

In use and operation, briefly, the shaft 19 is driven at crank-shaft speed by the eccen tries 53, connecting rods 52 and cranks 51 as heretofore set forth, each valve G being rotated at half crank-shaft speed, whereby its exhaust chamber 14 communicates, for

7 turn, connected withsaid cylinders as by the port 20 registering in proper sequence, after the said registration of the port 19, with the passages 24, 25, the gas charge being now drawn threugh these passages into the cylinders of the pair in correspondingsequence. in its passage through the valve body 13 said charge passes through the pie-heating chaml er 16, where it comes in heating con- :act w th the partition 3'? heated by the ere as gases passing through the adj acent ex- 'b, is chamber 1%, and thence through the iutal e chamber 1.5, where the gas charge is turther heated in contact with the partition 1. lik wise heated by the exhaust gases in i re adjacent exhaust chamber 1 1.

its hereinbefore set forth, the valves C are reversely driven, and they are also preferably constructed in opposite hands, that is to say, the exhaust port 19 leads the intake port 20 in order-to accommodate the device to th usual construction of a four-cylinder engine, wherein the end cylinders 1 and e have their the oil-ports 57 in the gears 48 into the gear chambers 56. On rotation of said gears 48, the oil is thrown against the walls of said chamberfi, some of which trickles down into the passage 61 leading to the bore 10a for supplying lubricant to the lining 32, the

remainder of the oil being discharged into the bearing chamber 12 for lubrication of the moving parts therein. The oil supplied to the lining 32 is absorbedthereby to form a lubricated seat in the bore lOa for the valve body 13. Likewise, the graphite strips 31 in the valve-engaging face 28 of the valve seats 26 furnish an eiiicient form of lubrica- .tion between said seats 26 and the valve body 13. These lubricants are subjected to the heat of the hot gases in and from the engine, but the lubricants and moving parts in the bearing chamber, and-said chamber itself are removed from contact with said hot gases. The housing D and its contained parts are adapted to be rapidly and efficiently cooled by suitab1e'means,as water circulating inthe jacket 9, and the valve C is also effectually cooled by the heat abstracted by theintake gases passing through the chambers 15, 16, and contacting with and against the walls thereof. 1 7

Thus, it will be seen that my new engine has a plurality of cylindersin pairs, each pair of cylinders supporting and being associated with a rotary valve assembly, the/several valve assemblies being removably containedin chambers adapted for rapidand eiiicient cooling thereof, and the rotary valves being driven by a common means operatively connected by a simple and effective mechanism with the crank shaft of the engine; that,

in connection with the rotary valves, valveseats 'or packing members are provided adapted to prevent leakage between the valve and the wall of the bore wherein the valve is rotatably positioned; that a simple and effective means is provided for supplying lubricants to, and lubricating the several moving' parts of, the valve assembly; that lubricated seats are provided for the rotary valves adapted to withstand the heat from the hot gases incident to the operation of the may be economically manufactured, and proof cylinders each having a combined intake and exhaust port, in combination with an axially rotatable valve including exhaust and intake chambers circumferentially adgacent on one side of the Valveand a preheating chamber having direct continuouscommunication with said intake chamber disposed on t1 e other SIOOQff the valve between saidcxhaust and. intake chambers, each of said exhaust and intake chambershaving a of c: inders'each haviiiga combined intake.

port for communication in sequence with the ports of the cylinders. 2; In 21 internal combustion engine, a pair and exhaust port, in combination with an axially rotatable valve including exhaust and intake chamberscircumferentially adjacent on one side of the valve and a preheating chamber having direct continuous communi-' cation with said intake chamber disposed "on the other side of the valve between said exaaust and intake chambers, each of said exhaust and intake chambers having a port for communication in sequence with the ports 7 cylinders, and means for preventing eddy currents'in the gases in said exhaust chamber. I V

3. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of cylinders each having a combined intake and exhaust port, in combination with an axially rotatable valve including a tubular valve body having interiorly disposed axially meeting radial partitions defining in oir- Cdli'lfjlGlltlfil sequence an exhaust chamber,

an intake chamber, and a preheating chamber having direct continuous communication with the intake chamber, each of said exhaustand intake chambers having a port for communication in sequence with the ports of the cylinders. Y a

4. in an internal combustion engine, a pair of cylinders each having a combined intake and exhaust port. in combination with an axially rotatable valve including a tubular valve bodv naving interiorily disposed axially meet radial partitions defining in circumferential sequence an exhaust chamber, an intake chamber, and a preheating chamber having dircct continuous communication with the intake chamber, each of said exhaust and-intake chambers having a port for coninuuiication in sequence with the ports of the cylindera-said exhaust chamber also having an axially extendingradial partition for preventing eddy currents in the gases passing therethrough, it i a 5; in an internal combust on engine, apair of-cylinders each having a combined intake and exhaust porthin combination witlian 1 axially; rotatable valve including a tubular valve body having at one end interiorlydisposed axially meeting radial partitions ideii i g-in circumferential sequence an exhaust chafimber an intake chamber, and preheating chamber having direct continuous com-. each of fsa-idexhaust and intake chambers having a portzfor communication in sequencewith the munication with the intake chamber,

ports ot-tl ecylinders.

"611117311 a alve body having a chamber adapted to receive moving gases therethrougl and means for directing the 'movement of gases, said means including a battle member "disposed in said chamber parallel with the "directions of saidf move-' ment of said gases, to divide said 'gases into parallel ISUQZLIBSVIH said chamber.

bers, there-, being one chamber having communication with the exhaust port, of the -,en-,

gine, and a plurality of other chambers hav mg direct continuous communication. was: each otherfa-i d the inlet port 01"" the engine, a

the exhaust chamber and one of the inlet chambers each having a port forcommuniication witha cylinder ofthe engine.

A a valve for an internal combustion en gine comprising a body divided into an @21 haust chamber and a plurality of inlet chambersfthe inlet chambers having direct con-- tinuous communication with each other for circulation ot' the inlet gases through the a valve body, the exhaust chamber and oneofl I the inlet chambers each having a port for communication with a cylinderof'the engine.

9. A valve for an internal combustion engine comprising a body divided into an exhaust chamber anda plurality of inlet chambers, portions of the walls of the inlet chambers being in common with the like walls of the exhaust chamber, the inlet chambers having direct continuous communication with each other for circulation of the inlet gases tlirougli'the valve body, the exhaust chamber and one or" the inlet chambers each having a port for communication with a cylinder of the engine.

10. A. valve for internal-coiiibustion engine comprising a'body divided into an-exhaust chamber and a plurality of inlet chambers, adjacent inlet chambers having direct continuous. communication at an end for circulation of the inlet gases therethrough, and the exhaust chamber and one of the inlet so a 7. A valve for an int-ernal combustion en gine compris ng a body CllVlClfiCl' into chain n: mamma V chambers each having a port for comni'un'ia cation with a cylinder of the engine".-

11. A'valve for an internal combustion engine compris ng 1n combmation a-body' (llVlClQCl into an exhaust chamber and a plurality of inlet chambers, adjacent inlet chambers having direct continuous communica tion atan end for circulation of the inlet gases therethrough the exhaust chamber and one of the inlet chambers each having aport for conin'iunication with a cylinder of the engine, and means on said bodyfor,

actuation of the valve in operative relation vwith the engine. I

12. A rotary valve for an internal .com-

' bustion engine comprising a tubular" body ine. r 5 A rotary valve for an internal' com- Y bustion 'engineqcomp'rising a tubular body divided into Jan exhaust chamber and a plurality of inlet chambers,"

longitudinally divided into an exhaustchamher an inlet chamber and a )reheatm cham- 1 a l a:

her, the inl t andpreheating chambers'having direct continuous communication at an end for the circulation of the inlet gases therethrough incontact with portions ofthe Walls of the exhaust chamber, the exhaust ohamher and the inlet chamber each having a port for communication with a cylinder of the enlongitudinally the inlet chambers having direct continuous communication atan end for circulation of v i the inlet gases longitudinally through said body in opposite direction, the exhaust I chamber and one of the inlet chambers each [having a port for communication with a cylinder 01' the engine. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed my v name to this specification.

- JOSEPH F. MAYER. 

